Marquez not in my sweet moment in MotoGP in 2022

The six-time world champion was expected to be one of the main combatants in Sunday’s race at Portimao despite qualifying lanugo in ninth.

But Marquez failed to make inroads at the start and could only manage sixth, some 16 seconds from race winner Fabio Quartararo, without rival with Honda team-mate Pol Espargaro and his LCR Honda-mounted brother Alex Marquez.

Marquez says he knew the expectations on him, but was held no illusions well-nigh what his potential was and feels he is still far from understanding the 2022 Honda.

“I know that everybody expected more, but I once said yesterday considering people say ‘no, it’s considering he doesn’t want to [give anything away]’,” he began.

“We are not ready to fight for the victory, so I go out and this morning in the warm-up I try.

“One lap is one lap, the feeling was not good and plane like this for the race we made a small transpiration on the velocipede that helped me. But it was not enough, and from the first laps I was riding uncomfortably.

“Even I didn’t make a good start, good first lap. But plane like this the speed was not there.

“So, since that point I tried to do my best, I tried to build my race, just build my rhythm.

“But we finished 16 seconds overdue the leader. Yeah, you can put when three, four seconds from the first laps.

“But I didn’t have the speed to recover positions. It’s not the position we would like to finish, but it was like this.

“I midpoint it’s not only me, not only the bike. It’s a consequence. When you are in your sweet moment, then everything is working.

“But obviously I am not in my sweet moment. And I need the help from the bike.

“Then it’s true plane like this I try to take the 100% from the velocipede and plane like this I was fighting versus the other Hondas.

“But my target is not to be first Honda.

“My target is fighting for the top positions. But all these things, they are not in the correct way now. Also, was a special weekend that we don’t test a lot – but nobody did. So, this is not an excuse.”

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Marquez is now 11th in the standings and 38 points from joint leaders Quartararo and Alex Rins, and doesn’t know how far yonder he is from finally clicking with the 2022 Honda.

“I don’t know,” he replied when asked by Autosport how far yonder he felt he was to understanding the bike.

“Still I’m working and I protract pushing at home and here on the race track to try to be largest and better.

“But I mean, of undertow you can see from outside I’m using a completely variegated riding style than last years. But at the moment it’s the weightier way to ride this bike.”